Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo and Don Cheadle are among a group of Marvel stars calling for the release of imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti.
More than 20 actors have added their names to a statement calling on the UN and governments around the world to push for Barghouti's release from an Israeli prison.
The statement was shared by the Free Marwan campaign, launched by Barghouti's family and supporters, and has attracted backing from more than 200 prominent figures from the worlds of film, music, literature and culture.
“We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned,” the latest statement reads.
“We call upon the United Nations and the Governments of the World to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.”
Among those backing the statement are Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Ruffalo, best known in the franchise as Bruce Banner/Hulk; and Cheadle, who plays James Rhodes, also known as War Machine.
They are joined by a long list of actors with Marvel ties, including Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Daniel Bruhl, Rebecca Hall, Zawe Ashton, Tatiana Maslany, May Calamawy, Emma Corrin and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
Ian McKellen, Brian Cox, Riz Ahmed, Elliot Page, Hugo Weaving, Dan Stevens, Rob Delaney and Jason Flemyng are also among the names highlighted by the campaign.
Who is Marwan Barghouti?
Barghouti, 67, has been imprisoned by Israel for more than two decades and remains one of the most prominent figures in Palestinian politics.
A senior member of Fatah, he was arrested by Israeli forces in 2002 during the Second Intifada. In 2004, an Israeli court sentenced him to five life terms plus an additional 40 years after convicting him over attacks that killed five people.
Barghouti denied the charges and refused to recognise the legitimacy of the Israeli court.
Despite spending more than two decades in prison, he has remained a popular political figure among Palestinians and has repeatedly performed strongly in opinion polls as a potential future president.
His supporters have also presented him as someone capable of bridging political divisions between Palestinian factions, while comparisons have frequently been drawn between Barghouti and former South African president Nelson Mandela.
Sustained support
The latest statement adds to a much broader campaign involving more than 200 cultural figures.
Previous supporters include writers Margaret Atwood and Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux, as well as musicians Sting, Paul Simon, Annie Lennox and Brian Eno.
Actor and presenter Stephen Fry, former footballer and broadcaster Gary Lineker and businessman Richard Branson have also backed the campaign.
Eno has previously compared efforts to secure Barghouti's freedom with the international campaign that developed around Mandela during apartheid.
“History shows us that cultural voices can shift the course of politics,” he said. “Just as global solidarity helped free Nelson Mandela, we all have the power to accelerate the day that Marwan Barghouti walks free.”
Barghouti's family and supporters have repeatedly alleged that he has been subjected to violence, abuse and mistreatment while incarcerated.
While in prison, Barghouti released a 255-page book in 2011, written secretly and smuggled out by lawyers and family members, detailing his experience in jail.
He is also set to publish a collection of his writings later this year. Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine, published by Penguin, will be out on November 5. The book will feature an introduction by his wife, Fadwa Barghouti, a prominent campaigner for his release.
